Bandage with removable splints



Oct. 25, 1960 F. DRAKE BANDAGE wmx REMOVABLE SPLINTS Filed June 24, 1958 Frances Drake INI'ENTOR.

United States Patent BANDAGE WITH REMOVABLE SPLINTS Frances Drake, 184 Willow St.,New Haven, Conn.

Filed June 24, 1958,-Ser. ism-144,219 i 1 Claim. ((31. 128-87) This invention relates to an improved bandage which is adapted to be used wherever suitably applicable .on the human body and which, in addition toperforrning the usual function of a wrap-around:bandage offers and provides an added feature, that .is,.elfective supportand stability for the injured part. To .this end appropriate splints are. selectively applied to desired portions ofthe over-all bandage.

in carrying out a preferredembodiment of theinvention insertable and removable stays or splints are utilized. These splints preferably are constructed from a suitable plastic material having prerequisite properties of stability while yet possessed of, wherever required, the necessary degree of resiliency.

The bandage preferred is one which is constructed from a strong elasticized fabric. This fabric has the desired two-way stretch and comprises an elongated strip or band of material. It may be folded to provide overlapping plies, one serving as the inner side or surface of the applicable bandage, and the other obviously, as the outer side. However, there is no structural difference between these sides. Therefore, the expressions inner and outer are used in relation to the bandage as it would be seen in use by an observer.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved bandage showing a portion thereof unrolled and a part of the unrolled portion having insertable and removable splints and the extreme end portion being free of splints and usable as regular bandaging material.

Fig. 2 is a view with portions broken away and showing several pockets and the stays or splints which are employed therein.

Fig. 3 is also a view with portions shortened and with portions appearing in section and elevation and showing how the band of material is folded at the left into overlapping inner and outer plies, how the fastening clips or hooks are preferably used and with one pocket 'broken away to expose the splint therein and another one showing how the splint is inserted and removed.

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views on the lines 44 and 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the fastening clips or hooks.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the ordinarily employed flat insertable and removable plastic or equivalent splints.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the kind or type of splint which is used when one desires to substitute it for the type seen in Fig. 7 in making up the aforementioned Thomas collar.

In carrying out the invention, as already generally well revealed an elongated strip of elasticized bandaging or material or a so-called surgical bandage is utilized. Material of this kind is already available on the market and so I simply employ alength thereof and, if desired, double thelength or .strip upon itself by folding it as .at 10 in Fig. 3 thus providing inner and outer sides or plies 12- and 14-(Figs. 4-and5). The upper lengthwise edgesare then brought togetheras at 16 and stitched -at 18. :JIhe otheror-lower edges are not stitched together. Then aplurality of transverse rows of stitches are provided andv-extendacrosswiseof the double-ply portion of the overall bandageand are denoted at 20 and they definethe-aforementioned pockets 22 which accommodate theinsertable-and removable straight or flat splints 24. It is within the purview .of the invention to provide 'splintsin' all of.-the,pockets,;or to provide any number of splints-so that the :splints may be inserted in the pockets andarolled .up-as shown at the left in Fig. 1. By the same token the splints'may be placed in the package separately infsulficient number according to the number-of pockets appearingin the over-all length of the bandage and then the splints may beinserted and removed as desired. ltis intendedkto provide-any number of pockets and any number 'ofsplints and to leave all of the splints out-ifdesired to facilitate washing the bandage =ifrnecessary-evenabefore it is put into'use. This aspect of whether the splints are in mom of -the'pockets is of course a matter to be considered within the limits of the total concept. For sake of illustration here it is to be assumed that for the most part the pockets are loaded or charged with removable flat splints. The end port-ion at the right in the drawings and which is denoted at 26 is a single ply. This constitutes the regular bandage and any amount of this can be included in the over-all roll of bandaging material.

It will be understood that the bandage may be put up and sold in varying width sizes. In fact it is within the purview of the invention to use bandage material which would be sufficiently wide to enable a doctor or nurse to utilize it as a Thomas collar. By a Thomas collar is meant a collar which has sufficient lateral stability or rigidity to afford substantial support for the neck of the wearer. When this is intended the special splints denoted at 28 in Fig. 8 will be used. That is to say here each splint will have a rigid straight and flat portion 30 and also one end curved 32 making a sort of a J-shaped splint. This will impart the desired curvature to the portion of each pocket containing the curvate end of the splint. It is thought that this aspect of the invention will be fairly clear from the mere showing of the single splint in Fig. 8 for which reason it is thought unnecessary to illustrate a Thomas collar or how the bandage is transformed to provide a Thomas collar.

It is also a point of novelty to include a number of fasteners of the clip-type (Fig. 6) in the package. Each clip is denoted generally at 34 and there is a lateral outstanding shank 36 with a return bent portion 37 defining a hook or bill 38 which is suitably pointed. The U-bent end portions 40 have suitable anchoring terminals 42 facilitating attachment of the clips in pairs to the end portion 26 of the band as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be evident that the invention covers a splintequipped bandage which may be applied to any part of the human body as may be required. It may be employed purely as a bandage without the splints or as a combination brace and bandage. For this reason it is sometimes thought of as a multipurpose bandage. For use on a fracture the stays or splints will, of course, be used while for supporting a strain or a sprain the bandage may be employed with or without the splints depending upon the extent of the injured area, this to be judged by the doctor and in some cases by the wearer.

The invention is characterized by strong elastic material of any given size or shape depending upon the part of the body to which it is to be applied. This is not only 3 an emergency or first-aid supporting bandage but can also be used for one of a more permanent time period.

For use in an emergency if a doctor has a roll or supply of the bandages ready he can cut from it a length or. portion to fit the particular situation at hand.

One mode of using the device constituting a simple example of appropriation and use would be to apply the bandage containing the splint directly to a fracture for example. Then, the end portions which may not require the presence of stays or splints could be prepared by removing the splints and wrapping same around the portion containing the splint and held tightly wrapped by a clip, fastener or hooks as shown in the drawing. This extra end portion or wrapping will reinforce the essentially applied area in a safe and reliable manner. The stays can be easily removed for Washing, thus making the overall product of a versatile character for use. It is believed that the complete product is simple, practical, eificient and will fulfill the requirements for which its varying purposes may be needed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

For use in bandaging, supporting, and bracing sprains, broken bones, and fractures on the human body; a prefabricated elongated band of flexible elastic washable material a portion of which may be easily cut with scissors and fashioned and tailored into a readily usable bandage, said band of material having longitudinally spaced transverse pockets open at at least one end, and flexibly resilinet splints fitted removably into their respective pockets, each splint having a fiat portion and a curved portion at one end and said splint being thus generally J-shaped in form and suitable for use in conjunction with said band in making up a Thomas collar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,243,230 Smith Oct. 16, 1917 1,389,525 Mosby Aug. 30, 1921 1,496,578 Kops June 3, 1924 2,301,047 Hendley Nov. 3, 1942 2,614,261 McTighe Oct. 21, 1952 2,651,302 Berry Sept. 8, 1953 2,655,916 Timmins Oct. 20, 1953 2,677,868 Smyth Feb. 2, 1954 2,753,864

Weidemann July 10, 1956 

